This invention relates to a method of transforming fine particulate waste material into a physically stable form and an apparatus for practicing the method.
One method used for cleaning coal is to crush and wash it to remove rock and other impurities. The impurities are removed in a very finely-divided wet state known as washery waste.
The standard practice for storing the washery-waste has been to stack it in large piles. However, these piles can become plastic and develop a tendency to move under their own weight, causing severe problems.
In an attempt to solve this problem, the washery-waste has been alternately layered with crushed rock from the mine. However, even though this solution has proved effective in preventing the piles from moving, layering becomes impractical as the distance increases between the dump site and mine which is the source of the crushed rock. The greater the distance, the less economical it is to carry the crushed rock to the location of the washery-waste piles.